How to Organize Your Smartphone Photos
By Tracey Dowdy
If you never have trouble finding a “Throwback Thursday” photo on your smartphone, it may be time to consider switching some of those old photos to a photo-sharing and storage website.
There are several solid options available online, but before you choose you should consider these important factors:
- Is it user friendly? Consider your comfort level with technology: Are you comfortable navigating the site and uploading photos? Are photos easily edited once they’re uploaded? Can you easily find your photos and search by date or file name? Are photos easily accessed and shared to social media?
- Does it store photos in a high quality format? Facebook albums are a good example. Images stored on Facebook are compressed into much smaller sizes to save on bandwidth and storage – great for them, not so great for your photos. Storing in a high quality format ensures that whether you’re looking at an online album or photos you’ve printed, your photos are top quality.
- Speaking of storage, how much do you need? Think long term, not immediate need. You want sufficient space to store all your photos at a reasonable price.
- Privacy? Does the site control who can see your photos or are you in charge of your privacy option? What about licensing? Who has the right to your photos once they’re posted online?
Keeping these factors in mind, here are some of the best photo storage and sharing sites:
Flickr
Flickr has been around for a while but recently underwent significant changes and is once again a great option for storing and sharing your photos with mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows phones.
User Friendly: Yes – photos can easily be auto-synced for uploading through the Flickr app, tagged and sorted into albums. You can search for photos by date, tag or keyword.
Quality: Flickr allows for full-size uploading and downloading of photos.
Storage/Cost: Storage is one of Flickr’s best features – you get a full terabyte (2 million photos) for free with ads or you can pay $49.99 a year to get the site ad-free.
Privacy: You determine the audience: friends, family, public or only you. (When you add your contacts, you can set them as friends or family.)
Photobucket
Another oldie but a goodie, Photobucket offers many of the same features as Flickr, along with the opportunity to buy merchandise created from your photos.
User Friendly: Yes – photos can be uploaded directly from your computer, Facebook or other websites. Photos are easily edited through Photobucket’s intuitive editing interface and once edited they can be sorted into albums or stories for a scrolling side show.
Quality: Photobucket allows for full-size uploads of your images.
Storage/Cost: 2GB free, with an additional 8GB with use of the Photobucket app. Prices range from 20GB for $2.99/month up to 500GB for $39.99/month.
Privacy: Albums are password protected.
500px
500px is aimed at more serious photographers. Images can be bought or sold as stock photos or wall art.
User Friendly: Upload photos from your computer, Dropbox, Facebook, or other social media and tag photos to make organizing and searching easier. Choose categories you’re interested in and 500px will intuitively match your interests with other users with similar interests. Users can comment on your photos and note which ones they like.
Quality: Outstanding, which is no surprise since the site is aimed at serious photographers.
Storage/Cost: Free for 20 uploads a week. Paid accounts allow unlimited uploads, the ability to sort photos into sets, and premium accounts come with a portfolio website.
Privacy: Public by default but you can restrict photos to private only.
ThisLife
ThisLife is a photo aggregator and is ideal for gathering all your photos into one collection. Photos can be imported from Flickr, Instagram, Facebook, Picasa and SmugMug, as well as your computer. A Premium account supports video uploads as well.
User Friendly: Yes – photos are easily uploaded from your desktop or the Instagram app.
Quality: Full size uploads and downloads.
Storage/Cost: Up to 2,500 photos free; 25,000 photos for $59/year; 100,000 photos for $139/year.
Privacy: Only those with the link can access albums – accounts are not password protected.
Shutterfly
Shutterfly is a great option for collating all your photos into one convenient location. Once photos have been uploaded, you can send friends a link to the gallery and they can add to the album or order prints for themselves. Albums can be collaborative, so you can share access to allow members to upload additional photos, share calendars, polls, or comment on images. Shuterfly also offers an extensive line of products for your photos from blankets to custom calendars.
User Friendly: Photos can’t be auto-synced to upload but are easily added from your computer, Facebook, Instagram, iPhoto, Google+ Photos and Adobe Photoshop, iPad, iPhone or Android apps.
Quality: Full size uploads and downloads.
Storage: Like Flickr, one of Shutterfly’s best features is storage. It’s free with unlimited storage and you get 50 free prints when you sign up.
Privacy: Albums are private by default and Share sites are limited to members only.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. Dropbox, Google+, iCloud, even Facebook are options and each has its own strengths. Do your homework, consider your current needs and what you’ll need long term and you’ll have no trouble finding the right site for you.
Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Toronto, ON. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances and researches on subjects from family and education to pop culture and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.
Ridiculous story there. What occurred after? Good luck!
What’s up, I read your blogs daily. Your writing style is awesome, keep
doing what you’re doing!
Outstanding post, I think blog owners should larn a lot
from this blog its real user friendly. So
much fantastic information on here :D.
Have a look at my page; firming skin care
Good site you have got here.. It’s hard to find high-quality
writing like yours these days. I seriously appreciate people like you!
Take care!!
my web page purchase hemp
Wonderful goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff
previous to and you’re just extremely excellent. I actually like
what you’ve acquired here, certainly like what you are
saying and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still
take care of to keep it sensible. I cant wait to read much more from you.
This is actually a great web site.
Feel free to surf to my web site: cannabis doctors
I used to be suggested this blog via my cousin. I’m now not sure whether this put up
is written by means of him as no one else recognise such targeted approximately my trouble.
You are incredible! Thanks!
Awesome site you have here but I was curious if
you knew of any user discussion forums that cover the same topics
talked about in this article? I’d really like to be
a part of community where I can get feed-back from other experienced people that share the same interest.
If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Many thanks!
Its not my first time to go to see this website, i am browsing this web page dailly
and obtain good facts from here daily.
We’re a group of volunteers and starting a
new scheme in our community. Your website offered us with
valuable information to work on. You have done a formidable job and our whole community will be grateful to
you.
I was wondering if you ever thought of changing
the structure of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so
people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having
one or 2 pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?
My web page :: stop smoking weed everyday
I cling on to listening to the newscast lecture about getting free online grant
applications so I have been looking around for the finest site to get one.
Could you advise me please, where could i acquire some?
my webpage :: http://www.comptine.biz
Hi there colleagues, its wonderful article regarding teachingand fully
explained, keep it up all the time.
Feel free to surf to my website: omega 3 rich foods
Are you gonna be a betting togel on the net player? Look
at news inside the site main to get the most up-to-date
information. You will find correct predictions and how to have fun with.
Hi there friends, how is everything, and what you wish for to
say about this post, in my view its actually remarkable in support of me.
Whoa! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a totally different topic but it has
pretty much the same layout and design. Excellent choice of colors!
I don’t even know the way I ended up here, but I believed
this submit was once great. I don’t realize who you might be but certainly you are going to a famous blogger when you are not already.
Cheers!
Greetings! Quick question that’s entirely off topic. Do you
know how to make your site mobile friendly?
My website looks weird when browsing from my iphone 4.
I’m trying to find a template or plugin that might be able to fix this problem.
If you have any recommendations, please share. Thanks!
This web site really has all of the information and facts I wanted concerning this subject and didn’t know who
to ask.
Also visit my blog slot online
Greetings from Florida! I’m bored at work so I decided to browse your
blog on my iphone during lunch break. I really
like the info you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.
I’m surprised at how fast your blog loaded on my cell phone ..
I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, wonderful site!
my webpage: situs slot bisa deposit pulsa
An interesting discussion is definitely worth comment.
I think that you ought to write more on this issue, it might not
be a taboo subject but typically people don’t speak about
these subjects. To the next! Kind regards!!
Stop by my site: slot deposit dari pulsa
Wonderful website. Plenty of useful info here. I’m sending it
to some friends ans also sharing in delicious. And naturally, thank you in your sweat!
Here is my page :: judi slot
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment
didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just
wanted to say wonderful blog!
Also visit my page :: download s128
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here.
The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish.
nonetheless, you command get bought an nervousness over
that you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come further formerly again since exactly the
same nearly very often inside case you shield this hike.
My blog post – slot pg soft gratis
website thanks this article is amazing
webpage thanks I enjoy reading through your post
Hello theonlinemom.com admin, Thanks for the great post!
Hello theonlinemom.com webmaster, Your posts are always well-supported by research and data.
Hi theonlinemom.com webmaster, Your posts are always well structured and easy to follow.
To the theonlinemom.com administrator, Your posts are always informative.
Dear theonlinemom.com admin, Your posts are always a great source of knowledge.
Hello theonlinemom.com webmaster, Your posts are always insightful and valuable.
Hello theonlinemom.com owner, Thanks for the great post!
Dear theonlinemom.com owner, You always provide great examples and real-world applications.
Hello theonlinemom.com administrator, Great job!
Very energetic post, I enjoyed that a lot.
Will there be a part 2?
Hello theonlinemom.com webmaster, You always provide great examples and real-world applications, thank you for your valuable contributions.
To the theonlinemom.com webmaster, Your posts are always well-balanced and objective.
Hello theonlinemom.com admin, Keep up the great work!
To the theonlinemom.com admin, Your posts are always well presented.
Hello theonlinemom.com owner, Thanks for the well-organized and comprehensive post!
Hi theonlinemom.com admin, Thanks for the well-organized and comprehensive post!
To the theonlinemom.com webmaster, Keep up the good work, admin!
Dear theonlinemom.com administrator, Thanks for the well-written and informative post!
To the theonlinemom.com owner, Your posts are always interesting.
Hi theonlinemom.com administrator, Thanks for the educational content!
To the theonlinemom.com administrator, Your posts are always well-cited and reliable.
To the theonlinemom.com admin, Thanks for the well-researched and well-written post!
Dear theonlinemom.com administrator, Thanks for the educational content!
Dear theonlinemom.com webmaster, Your posts are always well-supported by facts and figures.
Hello theonlinemom.com webmaster, Thanks for the well-researched post!
To the theonlinemom.com owner, Your posts are always well researched and well written.
To the theonlinemom.com administrator, Great job!
Hi theonlinemom.com owner, You always provide great resources and references.
Hi theonlinemom.com webmaster, Great content!
To the theonlinemom.com owner, You always provide great resources and references.