What do you do with your pictures?

[Harpo]

Just read an interesting thread here about film days vs Digital and some comments about the pros/cons including what happens to your photos (printed out vs stored digitally). That lead me to wonder what people are doing with some images they really like? Are you printing them out as to have a copy (photo album?) in case of hard drive or CD failure... Only printing out the best, making a Photo book of certain events, or just printing some, saving the rest electronically in 12 different back up formats?!?

My wife and brother in law started putting together photo books of places been to, etc and have them on the shelves. Kind of easier than a traditional photo album. We find that easier than having people surround the computer and watch a slideshow. Just wondering what others are doing.

Just remembered... my parents are now using an iPad to show pictures... thats another option

[PhotoByTrace]

I'm getting a couple printed as canvases at the moment, and each Christmas I make calendars for family and close friends (and myself) with my images. I'll occassionally print a photo to add to my pin-board collage for my office. My Mum will also often incorporate my photos of her grandogs into her scrapbooking pages , and well, that's about it in terms of tangible outputs.

I share with friends digitally through facebook and share with virtual friends (and to gain feedback and strive to improve) through sites such as this. I live at a distance to my family so digital transmission and display of photos works well. In terms of round the house I thought about a digital photoframe, but just don't really think it "works" for me. Not entirely sure where I'd put it or who would sit and look at it I guess. I think I'd prefer to leave a photobook on my coffeetable... though I haven't yet.

[Shadowman]

You should add another category, post in forums.

[ktuli]

Mike,

I have to agree with John - there are many more options. Personally, I'd switch the poll to a multi-option poll and add probably add several more options.

I personally store all of my photos on multiple hard drives on multiple computers (automatically backed up) one copy eds up in my online gallery site. Many photos get shared on my blog, some shared here, some entered into competitions of various sorts, some are printed and framed, and a couple I've made into canvas prints, I've made some prints to give as gifts to friends and family, and I believe I will really try giving making some photo books a try here soon.

That's one of the benefits of digital - the absolute ease of being able to use the same shot repeatedly with no degradation or variation of the image (I know this is possible with film, but more I thought it was more difficult to accomplish). I'm not saying digital is better (I have no experience with film to be able to make such a statement).

Hopefully you're able to change the poll as I am very interested to see how the results play out.

- Bill

[Harpo]

Good ideas to change the poll... I can change my post, but I cant seem to figure out how to change the poll!

[FrankMi]

I'm not sure what is meant by 'save them'? I don't think that many people take photographs and then toss them out after having looked at them or show them to others?

I share the best ones I take with other photographers, friends, and family. I do back them up and save them, but for my favorites? they are added to my Walpapers folder where, along with my all-time favorites (that other photographers have taken and are identified as such), are randomly rotated on a 30 minute basis as the screen background on my PC. At this time I can never predict what my PC wallpaper background will display as there are almost 1,700 images in that folder.

I would love to include some of the lovely images that my fellow photographers post here on the forum but do not for two reasons. Images posted here are not posted for others to freely use and they are often too small to make a good full-screen wallpaper display. Fortunately, there are thousands of original size images that are fully free to display for non-commercial usage available on the internet that are worthy to display as PC screen wallpapers, so I am not stuck looking at just my few good ones.

[socusoft]

I often make a slideshow with my photos, then upload the slideshow to Facebook and YouTube for sharing with friends.

[sammiab]

Hi

I am like Bill S and personally store all of my photos on multiple hard drives, stored at two locations. I make a selection of photos from the year and have a 'year' photo book printed for each year. All travel holidays have their own special book printed. I have just started getting a collage of fav photos from holiday trips printed and framed.(Each trip own frame) I share photos with family and on Facebook. Like Frank M I also have all my photos as a rotating wallpaper on my pc.
Haven't shared photos on sites like this, yet, maybe this year..

[rpcrowe]

What I do with my pictures depends on the subject...

Occasionally my photos are for one-time use. Like when I am repairing something or remodeling something and I need a specific part. I shoot an identification photo and print it to 4x6 and bring it with me as I shop for the part...

I shoot my dog pictures primarily to ensure that there will be good images to post on the Web. I use www.petfinder.com as my primary site to post available rescues. I also print images to give to the adoptive families...

I do a lot of posting on verious sites with Cambridge in Colour being my favorite...

I enjoy shooting just for the sake of shooting but, the digital age has freed me from worry about the cost of film/processing.

I belong to a loose network of local camera clubs and we frequently go on shoots which is enjoyable. I am shooting the demolition of an electrical generating plant this weekend and will be shootin at the Santa Anits Race Track in February. Shooting with other photographers and comparing their shots to mine as we post them on the club website is fun and gives me some competition.

It is enjoyable interfacing with other photographers and not being asked, "Why in the world did you ever photograph that crumbling old building; or questions of that ilk?" I have no family members who have any interest in photography other than family snapshots - so forums are my way of communicating with other photo oriented people.

[Geoff F]

Some go onto my P base galleries; a few get printed and hung on my walls. Like Trace, I produce calendars.

Quite a lot of my insect close ups are shot for identification purposes; so the information collected as a result of taking the photos gets passed on to various organisations for scientific purposes.

And for long term storage; an external hard drive plus DVDs for extra security.

[Mito]

I don't have many photos to store yet but those that are stored are on two external hard discs. I keep virtually everything but really I could get rid of about 25% of them. I must get more organised.

[AB26]

I really like the idea of photo books. It is a little expensive but so much easier to show people.

All my images are stored on 2 different computers and one external hard drive. It is a shlep to show people photographs on a computer.

I will slowly build up a library of photo books.

[tbob]

Andre: you sparked an idea. Over the past several years I have given large,about 50cm by 40cm, framed prints to a some relatives and as thank you gifts/payment for acquaintances. The cost of doing this sort of thing is prohibitive. However producing a vanity press (a term that applies to paying to have your book published for your own gratification)book of 40 pages with 113 images runs about one half or less the cost of getting a print made and commercially framed.

I am strongly considering this option as payment for the people who will be caretaking our home while we are away in February.

[PRSearls]

Santa brought me an iPad4 with retina display. I've found it's a great device to show off my best photos. It doesn't have the impact of a large print but is certainly handier to carry around. I am not planning to put thousands of photos on it so I make my iPad images 2048 x 1536 @ 264 ppi (the iPad's native resolution). Otherwise, I have over 18,000 images on several HD backups. The best ones, I sometimes print for family or friends. No commercial work... I'm an amateur.

I have used Blurb to print a 40 page, coffee table book for a community college class. If you use Blurb's best quality paper, cover, etc. it can get expensive but was worth it. I have the ebook copy on my iPad but when the large pages are reduced to iPad size, they are not so impressive. If I was making a book especially for the iPad, it would be formatted differently and look much better.

Paul S