sizing photos for online galleries

I just joined smugmug and I was wondering what size you upload your photos. What I mean is, what resolution do you use? Do you keep the original (assuming you have your camera set to the highest)? Or do you resize before uploading? Do you compress?

Thanks
Stefan

It depends on your target aurdience. If you want to let people buy prints using smugmug, then upload at the highest resolution/quality you can.

On my smugmug page, I've set things up so that I upload big resolution (original), but don't let anyone actually see the originals. However, if they buy prints etc, then smugmug will use the largest file.

Hope that makes some kind of sense to you.

I should look at this, I've been shooting bike races for a firend who puts on cyclocross events. These are just race for beer events that I shoot for fun and give him the photos to put on his Smugmug gallery, sort of if we sell some good, if not it is still fun for the riders to look at. Unfortunatly I know people just 'right click and save as' the shots. I've soon learned to drop the res to 72 dpi before uploading them, think I will start watermarking the images also. I know of one sporting goods store that did this for a 'what our employees are doing' bulletin board, saying also that they where sorry there wasn't room to give me credit also.

To answer your question - keep the resolution as low as you can.

Jack

Pete wrote in post #2830274
I...... but don't let anyone actually see the originals. However, if they buy prints etc, then smugmug will use the largest file.

I would like to leave my options open to print in the future - or sell prints - if I want. So in that case, I should upload original pics. But as Jack says, that could be a problem if people just right click your image and save it. Certainly there must be an option somewhere to disable right clicking.

Stefan

Just practicing uploading pics

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So, it seems smugmug sizes photos their own way. How can I specify a specific size photo - so it will be accepted by POTN for instance? Not only the pixel size, but the file size.

Stefan

Stefan A wrote in post #2830485
So, it seems smugmug sizes photos their own way. How can I specify a specific size photo - so it will be accepted by POTN for instance? Not only the pixel size, but the file size.

Stefan

Simply post a link to the "large" size. I'm pretty sure that's sized for 800px along the largest side. I've quite often posted those here without any adverse effect.

I tried the large size first and it said the file was too large.

Stefan

I’m not sure if Smugmug offers functionality like this (they may) but with Zenfolio (my current photo host) you can upload the original large file, and as has been mentioned, many different photo sizes will be made available to your viewers. Even with the basic account on Zenfolio you can disable the right clicking of photos and/or disable the downloading of the original size photo, but still allow them to purchase large prints of that specific photo.

So they are not going to be able to get the large files from my site – but my site will allow them to order the larger prints that can only be made for the uploading of the original files.

bauerman wrote in post #2830832
I’m not sure if Smugmug offers functionality like this (they may) but with Zenfolio (my current photo host) you can upload the original large file, and as has been mentioned, many different photo sizes will be made available to your viewers. Even with the basic account on Zenfolio you can disable the right clicking of photos and/or disable the downloading of the original size photo, but still allow them to purchase large prints of that specific photo.

So they are not going to be able to get the large files from my site – but my site will allow them to order the larger prints that can only be made for the uploading of the original files.

That's exactly how smugmug works. But there's no such thing as "right click" protection. If you can see a shot in your internet browser, it's because it's already stored on your computer (in your temporary internet files folder), anyone can take it from there).

Stefan A wrote in post #2830775
I tried the large size first and it said the file was too large.

If you're attempting to attach images for use in potn, then yes, they'll be above 100K.

But if you use the [IMG] tags to link to your smugmug shots, then there's no problem with that.

Pete wrote in post #2835594
That's exactly how smugmug works. But there's no such thing as "right click" protection. If you can see a shot in your internet browser, it's because it's already stored on your computer (in your temporary internet files folder), anyone can take it from there).

Pete - while I agree with you in principle on the right click protection theory, being able to disable right clicking on photos does act as a deterrent to some people that would otherwise just 'have off' with your photos. Smugmug pro accounts offer this feature and all Zenfolio accounts offer it.

The other setting that I use in combination with this setting in my Zenfolio account for added protection is the setting to disallow the downloading of the original sized photo. This is a setting that I can apply to just one picture, a variety of photos within a gallery or an entire gallery. It's a nice feature as well of Zenfolio. I think that the combination of these two settings provides some good protection for my photos.

I really wish the right click feature was available on standard accounts. I have been around computers for a long time now and I don't think I would have thought to look in the temporary files. Although, I am sure some people do.

Stefan

Stefan A wrote in post #2837410
I really wish the right click feature was available on standard accounts. I have been around computers for a long time now and I don't think I would have thought to look in the temporary files. Although, I am sure some people do.

Stefan

I think that Smugmug should trickle that feature down to all their accounts as well.

It is available on the $20 basic Zenfolio account.

The r-click disable does nothing but annoy potential viewers (or buyers, as the case may be). The r-click menu has more action options than "Save As" and disabling it so one can't use it is, imo, pretty rude. I think some people with disabilities may also use tools for browsing that are affected by this. Not to mention it's completely ineffective in Firefox browsers beyond the annoying inital 'can't do that' - which I can click out of and ignore. As someone else said, there is, sadly, no good, polite, effective way (yet) to keep people from taking images off the net, beyond not giving them access to the image until they've paid for it.

I could care less if I am "rude" to someone trying to walk off with one of my shots for unauthorized use! Right click disabling IS a deterrent people, just because it is not a deterrent to you does not mean that it is completely ineffective for other people. If we are living in such a politically correct society that I have to leave right clicking "on" so as to not offend some group of people - then I give up - sheesh!

Right clicking stays "off" in my galleries!