Image hosting and storage options [Archive] - AusPhotography:: Australia's Premier Photography Forum::

JDuding

01-10-2015, 11:54am

For reasons... I would like my EXIF info to be available on the images I link here.

The current site I upload to and use for linking to here and anywhere else is IMGUR.com
This site has many features that have made it quite convenient as a image host.
Now the one feature they do not offer (as far as I know) is the ability to leave the EXIF info in a pic.

The pro's have been, it's free.
Free to create an account. Free to upload any number of images and no linking restrictions.
I can upload a pic to my account as a single image or as part of an album.
Accounts and images never get removed due to inactivity (so far).
There is no resizing/modifying of the original image.
and it is soooo free.

Now... I want to have the EXIF info available and this means finding another host site.
I have never actually tried any other.

When I see forums on the net and see that little box instead of a linked image, that says, "This image cannot be displayed because...", I think that that host is not one reliable enough to host my images.
I see it most with Photobucket and tinypic... but that could also be because they are used the most?

I would like to know what hosts the members here prefer to use.

I would like a free account.
Able to upload large file sizes.
No limit (or a large enough) to the amount of images/MB uploaded to an account.
No deletion due to inactivity.
Doesn't strip an image of the EXIF info.

I have been going through many of the old threads here, using Google... to check previous topics of this nature.
There were some that gave some good reviews about 500px... but then mentioned that most are uploading their 'Sunday Best' there.

Personally... I'm looking for a site to host the images I post here for critique... and they will not all be 'Sunday Best' that's for sure.

I doubt that there is a perfect site... but am interested in what people here use and would recommend.
If this topic has been discussed to death... please direct me to the threads if you can find them.

thanks,
JDude.

ameerat42

01-10-2015, 12:00pm

When I was having serious doubts about OneDrive, formerly SkyDrive, Flickr was the next best thing.
If EXIF doesn't make it to the linked image on AP, it is certainly still available on Flickr itself. There is
an abbreviated EXIF below the linked picture, and a full exif via a click on a link there.

(Aside: Have I changed yet? No, because I am lazy, and couldn't be bovvered learning to drive Flickr or anything else.
So now my images are attached here on AP:o)

JDuding

01-10-2015, 12:41pm

Thanks Am... I will be checking out Flickr some more. even if just for a backup site when i need.

I like to keep the files as close to original... so I don't often do much compressing... so I'll probably use a host site, rather than get AP to host them for me.

Really, I should spend a dollar or two and buy a pro account somewhere... but until that becomes unavoidable... I'll keep looking for a free solution :D

Mark L

01-10-2015, 9:17pm

Able to upload large file sizes.

But you didn't do that with the cockatoo photos you posted. You just had the image dimensions larger than what AP allows and the file size much smaller than what AP allows.
Try this for the photos you want to link. Upload them to that IMGUR place within the dimensions that you are allow to upload directly to AP. 1024 on the longest side and no more than 250 mbs. That may retain your EXIF. It works for photos linked from Flickr so may also work with IMGUR?

ricktas

01-10-2015, 9:39pm

tandeejay

01-10-2015, 9:45pm

JDuding

01-10-2015, 9:45pm

...Try this for the photos you want to link. Upload them to that IMGUR place within the dimensions that you are allow to upload directly to AP. 1024 on the longest side and no more than 250 mbs. That may retain your EXIF. It works for photos linked from Flickr so may also work with IMGUR?

ooh... I thought you might be onto something there Mark... So I was about to test and...
what about a quick google...

So I did.

Found this... "...Alan Schaaf (Founder): Sorry, but exif data is striped on purpose to keep the anonymity of the uploader. This will not change..."

Looks like Flickr might be the next site to try.

Mark L

01-10-2015, 9:48pm

EG, you upload a photo at 4000 pixels x 3000 pixels. If you share that full size, then your EXIF will show. but as soon as you select a different size to share (eg 2000 pixels, 1024 pixels, etc) the image will no longer include your EXIF.
Ah, I wondered how that worked. Might test that tomorrow after vacuuming and the rest of the housework.:(

JDuding

01-10-2015, 10:01pm

Both flickr and photobucket offer EXIF at the original sizes uploaded only. So you mention you do not like using compression. But if you use flickr and photobucket and then choose the size that AP allows (up to 1024 pixels), if that is not the size you uploaded, then the EXIF will not be available.

EG, you upload a photo at 4000 pixels x 3000 pixels. If you share that full size, then your EXIF will show. but as soon as you select a different size to share (eg 2000 pixels, 1024 pixels, etc) the image will no longer include your EXIF.

Thanks Rick.
I'll compress if I have to... but for purposes of critique... I would like to offer as close to as original (post PP) as possible for the most accurate presentation of the image.

When submitting an image for competition I reluctantly (but understandably) compress the OhCrikey out of them :D

- - - Updated - - -

But you didn't do that with the cockatoo photos you posted. You just had the image dimensions larger than what AP allows and the file size much smaller than what AP allows....

This is surprising.
I'm so use to working with JPG and having the file sizes blow out after editing... that I didn't even check these image sizes.
The two cockatoo pics were my first PP using RAW.
Not sure if that is why the file size was so small?

Will do some further testing... as I have my camera set to shoot RAW to one memory card and a JPG to the second memory card.
I am doing this to see comparisons of my PP V's in camera PP.

- - - Updated - - -

...Also, flickr has a 1TB space limit for the free account.

I think I can work with 1TB :nod: :D

tandeejay

01-10-2015, 10:05pm

my only issue with that 1TB is the lack of decent upload speed... takes for ever to upload full sized images...

Oh NBN, NBN!, wherefore art thou NBN?

JDuding

01-10-2015, 10:18pm

my only issue with that 1TB is the lack of decent upload speed... takes for ever to upload full sized images...

A couple of months back I saw the NBN trucks at our junction box... so it must be close to being available here.
I only hope that the rumour is being overstated.
They are saying that the more people that jump on the NBN... the slower it gets.

Here's hoping that they made the new info-highway wide enough to accommodate everyone... now... and for a few years to come? Foresight... they would have employed that right? right?

tandeejay

01-10-2015, 10:34pm

They are saying that the more people that jump on the NBN... the slower it gets.

That depends on how it is implemented.

If everyone is on the same loop, then your packets have to wait for a gap to transmit... usually done by the network stack in each computer trying to transmit, and if a collision is detected, then it delays and then tries again. This type of network definitely suffers a slow down with more people using it. But if everyone's link goes all the way back to a switch then your bit of the network is never congested with anyone elses traffic as the switch only sends your traffic down your link, and you don't see everyone elses traffic. The catch here, is that the switch becomes the bottle neck... a good switch will be able to handle a high volume of traffic before it starts to become overloaded, and then of course enough traffic might be more than the uplink from the switch can handle in which case, your packets would have to wait...

Of course I could be wrong here... been a while since I studied networks at UNI... since uni, I've always had someone else to worry about the networks :)

ricktas

02-10-2015, 6:18am

A couple of months back I saw the NBN trucks at our junction box... so it must be close to being available here.
I only hope that the rumour is being overstated.
They are saying that the more people that jump on the NBN... the slower it gets.

Here's hoping that they made the new info-highway wide enough to accommodate everyone... now... and for a few years to come? Foresight... they would have employed that right? right?

it is generally 12-18 months after they start appearing in your area that people can first connect.

ricktas

02-10-2015, 6:24am

I'll compress if I have to... but for purposes of critique... I would like to offer as close to as original (post PP) as possible for the most accurate presentation of the image.

I think you are over-thinking this. Fairly much every other AP member resizes their photos to 1000 or 1024 pixels and gets good critique. There are huge factors involved in rendition accuracy that you have no control over, no matter how little compression etc you apply. Things like monitor calibration, room lighting of the viewers computer, angle of view, the size of the viewers monitor (quite a few people view the site and give CC on tablets). etc.

No matter what you do, or do not do, how your image looks on someone else screen is determined a lot, by them.

For instance, is your own monitor hardware calibrated?

JDuding

02-10-2015, 8:48am

...is your own monitor hardware calibrated?

Even better... there's a bar at the bottom of this web page that goes from grey to white over many increments. :D
Looks good to me :th3:

I @ M

02-10-2015, 12:18pm

Personally... I'm looking for a site to host the images I post here for critique... and they will not all be 'Sunday Best' that's for sure.

That is a relatively simple set of parameters to me, have a look at dropbox (https://www.dropbox.com/) or copy (https://www.copy.com/page/home;section:landing) ( or both ) as they fill my needs for free.

I doubt that there is a perfect site... but am interested in what people here use and would recommend.

I would consider dropbox or copy as close to perfect as one could need for presenting photos on AP or to share via a link with others.

Neither sites strip exif, what you upload is what others download.

They are both free with plenty of storage and the ability through "sharing rewards" to expand that storage quota.

They will take large files, I uploaded a 32 mb jpeg for someone recently which took our 2 cans and a string internet ages to achieve but the recipient had the full file in seconds 3/4 of the planet away.

Usage is simple for sharing, all one has to do is to "wrap" --- tags around the source folder url for them to appear on the pages of AP.

Only those who you choose to share the link with are able to view your images.

Both Dropbox and Copy are set up as data backup sites so the url of the stored material doesn't change and nothing is deleted by them until you delete it.

JDuding

02-10-2015, 3:25pm

Sounds ideal Andrew.
thanks... I'll check them out as well.

Cage

02-10-2015, 5:23pm

A couple of months back I saw the NBN trucks at our junction box... so it must be close to being available here.
I only hope that the rumour is being overstated. They are saying that the more people that jump on the NBN... the slower it gets.

I've had my NBN FTTH up and running for a few weeks now. I have the 100/40 speed and it usually runs 95/38 and doesn't drop below 92/32 in peak periods.

ameerat42

02-10-2015, 5:48pm

I will dance a jig --- Er, make that drink a jug --- for you.

That's great!

ricktas

02-10-2015, 6:31pm

Even better... there's a bar at the bottom of this web page that goes from grey to white over many increments. :D
Looks good to me :th3:

If you are serious, then you are mistaken about what that bar does. It merely checks brightness and contrast levels and comes no where near calibration.

MissionMan

02-10-2015, 6:39pm

I'm not a fan of the way Flickr forces you to link to external websites like Ausphoto so I switched to Smugmug. The think I like about their hosting is that you can turn it into a photography website which is pretty easy to setup. This is what I mean:

http://atholhill.smugmug.com/

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

tandeejay

02-10-2015, 6:46pm

I'm not a fan of the way Flickr forces you to link to external websites like Ausphoto

How do you mean? I've never had to link to Ausphoto from Flickr.

MissionMan

02-10-2015, 6:48pm

You can't just right click on the photo and copy the photo link to Ausphoto. You have to paste in a whole set of code with the link.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

tandeejay

02-10-2015, 6:54pm

But by pasting just the link, ausphoto has to generate all the code. Copying the pre-generated code from Flickr works for me, and I get to choose what size it appears in my posts.

MissionMan

02-10-2015, 7:42pm

But by pasting just the link, ausphoto has to generate all the code. Copying the pre-generated code from Flickr works for me, and I get to choose what size it appears in my posts.

I get to choose what size it is as well without having to apply the code. Smugmug allows me to select any size I want to display.

https://atholhill.smugmug.com/Family/Valentines-Day/i-7Z4Scqh/0/S/DSC_3799-S.jpg

https://atholhill.smugmug.com/Family/Valentines-Day/i-7Z4Scqh/0/M/DSC_3799-M.jpg

https://atholhill.smugmug.com/Family/Valentines-Day/i-7Z4Scqh/0/L/DSC_3799-L.jpg

Etc

There are about 10 different sizes to select from.

JDuding

02-10-2015, 8:00pm

If you are serious...

No. Not serious... placed a couple of smileys in that post to help show that.

Many eons ago... I would service Power PCs and graphic designers monitors and would perform calibrations (mostly on Apple monitors). Wasn't my main job... but... have done it.

As you were saying... when it comes to quality... I was over thinking it.
So when it comes to what this sites 'critiquers' are viewing the images on...
...hardware calibrating my monitor might be going an unnecessary step too far.
So I am happy to relax a bit and just rely on the brightness-contrast bar to be enough to gauge a posted images quality... and I won't be expecting others to be hardware calibrating their monitors either.

If I become a professional photographer... I will definitely get high end monitors and PCs.

As for posting best image quality for critique... I'll still post as good as I can within reason... but will scale them down more than I have been... as I wasn't considering people with slow internet or those using mobiles and tablets.

I'll still try to find a site that has the least limits... Andrews 'Dropbox' suggestion seems the pick of the litter so far.

So in short... yep... not serious.

- - - Updated - - -

...I switched to Smugmug...

drool... yes... I saw that and sussed out their system.
Looks ideal for when I want to start creating an online portfolio.
I'll have another look... but do they offer free services?
I thought I struck them from my short list due to no free accounts?

Still... a really nice setup they have.

----EDIT-----
Dude... how good does your SmugMug portfolio look... Awesome.

farmmax

02-10-2015, 11:24pm

I like Smugmug best, but it is not free. I pay them $60/year and reckon they're worth it. There is a cheaper option. I do have a free Flickr account, but only because a couple of competitions insisted the photos be uploaded to Flickr.

JDuding

03-10-2015, 5:00am

Yeh Max... that's what I thought I had read.

Not a kings ransom to be sure... but my pics are not at a quality for me to start an online portfolio just yet.
But SmugMug will probably be the one when I do.

Lesley Bray

08-10-2015, 12:42pm

I've been with Smug Mug for nearly ten years. On occasions I look around to see if others offer more and I always decide Smug Mug has everything I need. Like farmmax, I pay $60 a year - there are no ads, I can upload original size images, they don't compress images, I am not restricted by the number of images I upload or the number of albums I make. They have a number of options for the look and feel of the site so I change it about when I feel like it. I like that I can mark on the map where I took the photo. I can flag an album public or private. From Smugmug it is simple to publish on Facebook, Google+ and other sites. Also very easy to link an image to a message on this forum. Lesley

MissionMan

08-10-2015, 1:00pm

I would like to add that one of the things I find invaluable on Smugmug is the hidden galleries and password links.

I often take photos of kids (family, friends, birthday parties) and if I distribute images, they are always hidden galleries with password protection. I'm not sure if Flickr gives this on their base models, but I think it's worth paying for the privacy.

I'm also not sure what statistical reporting Flickr provides, but Smugmug has some good reporting around image views, popularity, links (what sites have linked your images without your permission) etc.

tandeejay

08-10-2015, 1:46pm

Flickr has that available on the free account. The ability to set image privacy, and to generate a URL that you can give to those you wish to have access.

MissionMan

08-10-2015, 4:32pm

Flickr has that available on the free account. The ability to set image privacy, and to generate a URL that you can give to those you wish to have access.

I thought Flickr had that on individual photos but not on Albums.

On Smugmug, you can set up individual albums, each with a separate set of security and passwords rather than at individual photo level. You can also decide whether to expose your website/profile or leave it as an anonymous gallery. For example, if I do a kitesurfing event, I may not want people going to all my personal photos from the event photos.

This is an example of what I mean.

Here is a gallery I made private (not searchable so only available via the link) but without a link to my personal site.

https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-LqSrw

Here is one that is private but contains a link to my personal site. You can see the url now incorporates my name.

https://atholhill.smugmug.com/Children/Mixed/n-nPM9S/

Here is one that is public but contains a link to my personal site but you could obviously have a public one where the owner is hidden as well.

https://atholhill.smugmug.com/Across-the-Bay-2015

tandeejay

08-10-2015, 9:21pm

I thought Flickr had that on individual photos but not on Albums.

Definitely has it on Albums. I have a family album that I share with my family (most of whom don't have flickr) All I do is send them the link that provides them access.

Here is an album I made private https://www.flickr.com/gp/99216317@N08/w5cq8x

Actually, I see what you mean. The album itself isn't private of itself, the privacy is set at the image level, so anyone without the above link could view any photos in that album where I had set the privacy for public visibility, and the above link is a passport that provides visibility to everything in that album.

I can expire any of those passports I've created for access to private albums if I think the passport has been sent to the wrong person.

It does contain a link back to my public flickr site, can't see how to suppress that, but not sure I'd want to, as it only provides a link back to a site that is publicly available anyway.

arthurking83

09-10-2015, 7:01am

Thanks Rick.
....

This is surprising.
I'm so use to working with JPG and having the file sizes blow out after editing... that I didn't even check these image sizes.
The two cockatoo pics were my first PP using RAW.
Not sure if that is why the file size was so small?

.....

What software are you using?

Also two other options for you to check out for image hosting are:

DeviantArt (http://www.deviantart.com/browse/all/) and Nikon's ImageSpace (http://nikonimagespace.com/)
Both are free(or have free account systems).
Because you have a Nikon camera body, the free ImageSpace account is larger than it otherwise would be if you didn't have Nikon camera.

I've never had an issue with DA in the ten years I've used it.
But I sometimes have linking issues with ImageSpace, only in that the transfer of the image from IS to the site you linked too can be slow. Hopefully they've fixed that.
The last option I (prefer to)use is AP's gallery space if it's just for linking to AP.