Online Photo Sharing - How to Choose The Right Plan
Think of photo sharing as a place to collect and store photos for the long term. Photos are among our most valuable possessions. Photos are something we want to preserve for many years to come. They are family heirlooms to be passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, selecting the right online photo sharing service right from the very start is extremely important. Setting up your own photo sharing gallery is easy and the results are fantastic, but it takes time to make your photo galleries and upload photos etc. If you decide to switch to a different service you must do it all over again.
Here are important considerations when selecting the right online photo sharing service for you:
- Membership fees- So what's this going to cost me? The yearly membership fees can range from free (with minimum annual purchase) to over $50 USD per year to maintain an online photo sharing gallery. Whats the catch? None really, the photo sharing services make money when folks order prints and other products.
- Advertising- Are they going to put ads on your site? Some of the free photo sharing services help pay their bills, by placing ad banners around your gallery. Some allow you to upgrade to premium membership level and the ad's disappear.
- Purchase requirements- Are you required to buy anything? It's common for free online photo sharing services to require you to place an occasional order to stay active. That's fair, but you could risk losing your images if you don't order something every so often.
- Storage limits- How many images can you keep at the gallery? Many of the photo sharing services offer unlimited photo storage. Check to see what the limits are if any of the photo sharing plans your considering. If you really shoot a lot of pictures like I do, get a photo sharing plan featuring unlimited photo storage.
- Upload limits- Is there an upload limit? A few services will only allow you to upload a designated number of photos per day or month, most services however have no limit.
- Printing- Can you order prints online? Most services allow you to click and order prints and enlargements. It's important to make sure the plan you decide to join offers this feature if you want to order prints of your images.
- Photo gifts- How do you order photo gifts? The selection of photo gifts varies widely between services. Some services offer the basic photo gifts like photo t-shirts and photo coffee mugs. Some services have gone nuts and offer an amazing variety of photo gifts, like teddy bears, photo confections, photo sports balls and more. Compare plans and choose the best photo sharing plan accordingly.
- Store pick-up- Does the plan offer local in-store pick-up? Many photo sharing services now have print pick-up at local retail stores, in some cases in about an hour! You also save on shipping costs compared to photo sharing services that only ship out your order.
- Shipped to your door- Will the service ship orders to you? All the services will ship it to you and your adoring fans. Some of the plans offer free shipping coupons and specials from time to time. You could also save on local and state sales tax, depending.
- Community- Can I share my pictures with the world? Vibrant photo communities thrive at many of the photo sharing websites. They have clubs of every kind that you may join if your into it. Get active and submit your images for everyone to enjoy! Get feedback via comments and viewers rating your pictures.
- Locked Galleries- Don't want anyone staring at your photos? Make sure the photo sharing service you join supports password protected galleries. Only those you give the password to can enter the gallery. Your precious pictures are safe from prying eyes.
- Templates &Themes- Does the photo sharing service have templates to choose from? It's nice to easily change the look of the gallery once in a while, so it's got a fresh look to it. Some plans have cool templates, just click to switch your galleries look for the holidays also spring themes, Halloween and more.
- Online Editing- Can you zoom and crop online? Once your photography is uploaded to it's gallery, it's nice to be able to zoom, rotate, trim etc. before you order a print or enlargement. Look for a service that supports online editing.
- CamPhone Uploading- Uploading of camphone photos directly to your gallery from the phone? Camphones are getting better all the time. It's nice having the option of uploading directly to your gallery for permanent storage, from anywhere you have cell phone service.
- Custom Borders- Want a festive border framing your prints? Look for this feature to add interesting borders to your images before printing.
- Age Limit- What's the age limit if any? Most services DO have a minimum age limit. I have not seen one with a maximum age limit however! The age limit is always listed in the Terms of Service.
Online photo sharing is a wonderful way to enjoy your camera and your computer. Now that you know what to look for, read more about photo sharing plans before you sign up. Be sure you get the one that has the features you will use most often. Your online gallery will be home to your precious images for many years to come.
About the Author:
Learn step-by-step how you can submit digital photos online and earn up to $500 week after week!All in your spare time! Click Here: Digicamcash
-
0
-
I am an avid reader of this type of article, and have never seen one written this way. It was very succinct and to the point, yet engaging and entertaining.
-
Dear writer, I think your article is great. You have a special writing style that isn't seen often. Thank you for your interesting informational content.